Details for Devoke Water

Located in the mid-west region of the Lake District, Devoke water is a small tarn(lake) which sits at an altitude of 770 feet on Birker Fell one kilometre to the west of Eskdale. It is the Lake Districts largest lake (almost a mile in length) and highest tarn, it has a depth of 46 feet.

Often overlooked as it lies in such a remote and isolated place, which can only be accessed by the bridle path from the fell road, it is a great place to escape to for total peace and tranquillity.....Fine views can be seen from the high fells around the lake, including Eskdale, Wasdale and out towards the Irish Sea.

Trout inhabit the depths of the lake; there is an outlet via Black-Beck in the north-west which plunges over rocks into a 26 foot waterfall before moving on towards the River Esk.

'Devoke' which came from the ancient Welsh word 'dubaco' means 'the dark one'. The fell side on which Devoke Water lies was once a Bronze Age community it has more than 1200 prehistoric remains scattered over it and 400 hut circles have been discovered to date. An old boathouse is now the only sign of human habitation around the water.